


An Order is an Order

by holdouttrout



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-30
Updated: 2007-04-30
Packaged: 2017-11-15 20:43:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdouttrout/pseuds/holdouttrout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aliens make them...dance? I’m setting this really very early. No spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Order is an Order

The wormhole wooshed into being and settled back into the 'gate as SG-1 waited at the foot of the ramp to embark. Jack nodded to Sam and Teal'c to move on ahead, and Daniel and Jack started after.

He knew as soon as his vision had adjusted to the overly bright sun that they were in trouble. He knew this because Carter was half-hidden behind Daniel, who was explaining and gesturing for all he was worth. Around them were twenty or so men, dressed in the kind of tunics that always seemed to indicate “military.” All had dark skin, hair, and eyes. All were carrying weapons that looked pretty advanced.

Teal’c was holding his staff weapon in that unique way that signaled both “I’m ready to shoot you anytime” and “I won’t hurt you if you’re not stupid.”

Jack stepped forward, and the men spared him a look. Daniel said something and one of the men replied quickly. Daniel hesitated a moment, then replied in the affirmative. The men immediately relaxed. To Jack, that was a bad sign. Mostly because it was at this point that Carter started to fume.

“Got another one, Daniel?”

The men looked startled. One of them, a short, skittish-looking man asked, “You speak English? We know of no other tribes that do so.”

Jack squinted in the bright sun and ignored the man’s question. “What was the problem here?”

The man smiled, nervous now that he could be misunderstood. “Ah, no problem, no problem. Your friend explained it quite well—we thought at first the Sun Goddess—“ Jack smirked a little at Carter, who looked embarrassed—“was without protection, and we were trying to decide who would acquire the honor. But of course, she is your Protected.”

Jack shot a look at Daniel, who shrugged. Carter looked venomous, but kept her mouth shut.

Jack said, “Yeah, well…you guys care to show us around?”

The leader of the men bobbed his head. “Of course! My name is Andin, and we are honored in the presence of the Goddess.”

Jack sighed. It was going to be a long mission.

*_*_*_*_*

Jack's fingers twitched against his dress uniform. Two weeks, and this planet was still one of his least favorites. He would take slogging through mud any day over slogging through a mass of politicians. But they were technologically advanced enough that Hammond--and their own government officials--wanted the first team to put in a good appearance at negotiations. So, two weeks of schmoozing, dress uniforms, and...

He heard Carter behind him and turned slowly.

...dancing.

When they had come to know the delegates of the planet a little better, they confirmed that everyone had presumed Sam and Jack to be married. Thankfully, only the leaders of the delegation--all open-minded people, and none nearly as dogmatic or quick to jump to conclusions about godhood as Andin--had been around to hear Jack's rather vehement denial. Unfortunately, it had put them in an uncomfortable position. The Gerahns, while not forbidding any profession to women, also had the tradition that a woman was under the supervision and protection of her closest male relative or husband.

Sam hadn't been happy to hear that.

The leaders had assured them that there was no reason to be worried--as long as the lack of such a relationship was kept secret from the rest of the people.

Jack had asked them if they were seriously asking them to pretend they were married. They had replied with nervous smiles. Hammond, when informed of the situation, sighed heavily and said that they better not say anything that was an outright lie. Jack and Sam had looked at each other with an expression akin to horror. The Gerahns had beamed, given the team a room to share, and told Jack and Sam they would have to dance at least once with each other every night.

The first few times they danced Sam had held herself stiffly, looking over Jack's shoulder as they went through the motions of a waltz-like dance they'd been taught quickly. Jack had felt just as awkward, but after a couple of days, Sam had suddenly laughed in the middle of the dance floor, confusing the hell out of Jack. And then--

She'd proceeded to tease him. Every night. In a very subtle, non-regulation-breaking way that left Jack unable to reprimand her. And--and this was what he could not fathom, given Carter's lack of tolerance for any seeming gender equality--she'd gone native, opting to accept their hosts' gifts of appropriate dresses for the evening soirees.

Jack turned his attention back to the present. Jack tried not to notice how low-cut the dress was, or how Sam’s back was almost fully exposed.

Sam moved, and Jack scrapped the thought he might pretend the dress was in any way modest enough. He heard the first strains of their "waltz" being played and grimaced.

"Why do we have to play along with this again?"

Daniel cleared his throat and Jack realized he'd come in with Sam. "Because if you don't, every male in the room will assume Sam's fair game?"

Ah, yes. The reason he'd gone along with it, in the end.

"Mostly tradition, my ass," he muttered. Sam's smile never wavered as she took his arm and let him lead her to the dance floor. In fact, if anything, her eyes twinkled more than usual, and Jack could have sworn he saw her exchange an amused look with Teal'c.

As they settled into position on the dance floor, Sam tilted her head, offering a challenge, and Jack lost the edge of nervousness that had plagued him for days. His eyes brightened, and his lips curved upward in just the barest hint of a smile. He could handle a challenge.

"Lead on, Carter."

Sam turned toward him, and he put his arms up instinctively. She settled into them with the ease of practice, and then they were moving. They had practiced enough Jack could keep up a steady movement without thinking about it. Jack was still concentrating on not looking down Carter's dress when she shifted, ending up closer to him. He found himself looking over her shoulder and his steps faltered for just a half a second at the feeling of her body pressed against his.

Even as addled as he was, he was enjoying himself. He had no clue what Carter was up to, but he wasn't about to over-think this, either.

And Carter's head landed on his shoulder.

What.

The.

Hell.

Jack continued dancing, now completely confused and perplexed, and just...really...what was going on here? He was really, really finding it difficult to concentrate on the steps, or the music, or anything else besides the very attractive woman in his arms.

The same woman who seemed to have lost herself in the music, whose bare back he was currently touching, who was really more talented than he had ever realized, to keep dancing the intricate and repetitive steps while practically nuzzling his neck.

And then--he caught this quite clearly--she brushed her lips against his neck and sighed.

Sighed.

Oh, that was it.

He stopped in the middle of the dance floor. Other couples moved around them, giving them curious glances, but no one ran into them.

"Carter--" he began, but she was already looking up at him, that same mischievous smile playing at her mouth, the same challenge behind that, and to add to the whole mess, he recognized a look he'd only seen a few times, and had never been entirely sure he wasn't hallucinating.

He also noted, vaguely, that he hadn't actually dropped his arms, and that hers were still wound around his neck.

There was a long pause. Carter finally said, “What is it, Jack?” His name dropped from her lips casually, as if she wasn’t breaking every unsaid rule of their non-relationship.

Jack’s mind waved a tiny flag of surrender. He said, “Nothing,” stepped just a little closer, and indicated that they should continue dancing. They started out on the next opening in the music. As Carter smirked at him, Jack suddenly thought of the picture they made—how absurd the whole situation was in general, and speaking of generals, hadn’t Hammond very nearly ordered them to act married by telling them not to correct the Gerahns’ misconceptions? And hadn’t Carter been doing exactly that?

In the middle of the dance floor, Jack laughed. He said, “Carter, you have the best ideas ever.”

Sam just grinned, realizing he finally understood why she’d been acting like she had. This time, when Sam laid her head on his shoulder, Jack relaxed, slowing down and allowing himself to enjoy the sensation of Carter in his arms, of being able to touch her like he always wanted to, even allowing himself to lower his head--not quite on top of hers—she wasn’t short enough—but to rest it by hers and slow until they were barely dancing at all. Instead, they were standing on the edge of the floor, swaying slightly and holding each other close.

This time, when the music ended, Jack didn’t feel a rush of relief. Instead, he found himself reluctant to let go. Sam and Jack separated slowly, both of them smiling.

Jack offered her his arm and she stifled a laugh, though she took it as they returned to where Daniel and Teal’c were carefully not looking at them.

Just before they reached their friends, Jack asked, “Same time tomorrow?”

Sam grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it for a Jaffa invasion, sir.”

That sounded just about right to Jack.  



End file.
